Home Local Sports Hamlet edged by Hope Mills in 2nd round opener

Hamlet edged by Hope Mills in 2nd round opener

Coach Chip Gordon (21) watches as reliever Ra'Nik Little warms up during the sixth inning. (Deon Cranford)

HAMLET — Unlike the last time the Hamlet American Legion baseball team played Hope Mills, it couldn’t complete a comeback in Tuesday’s playoff game.

Hosting the No. 3 Boosters in the first game of the second round of the Area 2 playoffs, No. 2 Hamlet fell 6-4.

The two teams battled out to a 2-2 tie through the first five innings before Post 32 pulled away with four runs in the final two frames.

“Tanner (Cheek) pitched a gem,” head coach Chip Gordon said of his starting pitcher. “But he just got tired in the later innings and we walked too many guys.

“We also had several chances to score, but left too many guys on base,” he added of the five stranded runners in the game. “We weren’t able to get the hits when we needed them.”

Cheek made his second start of the playoffs, going 5.2 innings for Post 49. He allowed four runs (two earned) on four hits and struck out four batters.

Retiring the first six batters he faced in order, Cheek allowed his first run in the top of the third. An RBI single to left field with two outs gave Hope Mills a 1-0 lead.

Post 49 answered in the next half inning, using a Markey Purvis sacrifice fly to knot the game. With the bases loaded, Purvis lifted a fly ball to center field and scored Nick DiCarlo (error).

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A fielder’s choice in the top of the fourth put Hope Mills ahead by a run, but again Hamlet answered in the fifth. Cameron Way, who had two of Hamlet’s six hits, scored by swiping home on a double steal.

In the sixth, Post 32 scored a pair of runs on consecutive bases-loaded walks. Ra’Nik Little (1.2 innings) entered in relief and recorded the final out via a strikeout to end the threat. 

Hope Mills extended its lead to four runs with an RBI groundout and a run scored on a passed ball in the seventh.

With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Post 49 managed to get two runs back. An error on a Finley Spicer grounder scored two runs, bringing home DiCarlo and Way, who both singled.

A lineout in the next at-bat saw the hopeful comeback attempt come up short.

“We’re going to shake this off and try to even up the series on Wednesday,” Gordon said.

The best-of-three game series will move to Hope Mills on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. start. Facing elimination, Hamlet will need to win to force a third game and keep its playoff hopes alive.



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Kyle Pillar is a 22-time North Carolina Press Association award-winning sports editor with The Richmond Observer. Follow the sports department on X @ROSports_ for the best in-depth coverage of Richmond County sports.